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The decades-long struggle in the food desert continues

In many West Baltimore communities, finding food is fairly easy, but a meal is not.

“You can’t get fresh stuff. They eat out of cans and at corner stores,” Fannie Hughes said.

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For more than a decade, 12 West Baltimore communities have become food deserts, with residents struggling to find healthy food.

Ten years ago, the local Stop, Shop, and Save on Monroe Street closed, leaving many low-income residents without easy access to healthy food.

“All these people didn’t have cars and had low incomes. We can’t imagine you would agree not to have a grocery store here,” said Marvin “Doc” Cheatham.

Community leaders have asked elected officials to help find a replacement supermarket, but after 10 years the community is still a desert.

“There are no elected officials, federal, city or state, who live in a food desert. They don’t understand the plight of living in a food desert,” Cheatham said.

Neighbors have now signed petitions and community leaders from 12 West Baltimore communities are supporting a lawsuit against the mayor and city council.

Residents believe their lives are at risk without the comfort of healthy food.

“If you continue to eat salt and drink alcohol, your life expectancy will decrease. We need a solution to this,” Cheatham said.

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